Where to eat in NoLo: the places we actually recommend (from people who live here)

NoLo — North of Loreto — is one of the neighbourhoods where Milan eats with the most variety per square metre: within two blocks you go from a risotto trattoria to a Sichuan kitchen, from a natural-wine counter to old-school pizza al trancio. These are the places we actually send the guests who stay with us — with addresses, what to order and how much you'll spend.

The trattorias that stand the test of time

Trattoria da Abele (via Temperanza 5) — The kingdom of risotto, in a 1950s dining room left just as it was. Every evening three different risottos on the menu — one meat, one fish, one vegetable — drawn from a repertoire the house claims runs to over 600 recipes. A risotto is around €13, the tasting menu €28; a realistic bill lands at €30-40. Dinner only, closed Monday. It's small and much loved: you book by phone only (02 2613855).
Osteria della Pasta e Fagioli (via Venini 54) — A proper Puglian osteria, opened in 1975 by a family that came up from the South: home cooking, generous portions, popular prices. Orecchiette with turnip tops, tiella of rice, potatoes and mussels, baked pasta on Thursdays and Sunday lunch, and pasticciotto to finish. A NoLo institution — better to book (02 26148014).

Contemporary cooking and cross-overs

Minta (viale Monza 13) — Our favourite of the genre: Filipino cooking reworked Italian-style ("Pinoy taste, Italian concept"), from the couple Nicola (Neapolitan) and Anna Christine (Filipino). Order the pulled adobo (pork slow-cooked in its marinade), the sisig, the longanisa (sweet sausage), the crunchy chicken in cornflakes, and the leche flan to close. Around €20-30 a head. About a dozen seats, so book; closed Sunday.
Manna (piazzale Governo Provvisorio 6) — The place for a special dinner: contemporary Italian cooking from chef Matteo Fronduti, in the Michelin Guide. Signature dishes like the "Batticuore" (beef-heart tartare, hazelnuts, mustard) and "Ajo e Ojo" (spaghettoni with raw langoustines). Bill ~€50-70 excluding wine. It's a little off NoLo's core, towards Turro, but worth the detour. Book, and check the hours on their channels.
Macario – La Locanda (via Varanini 3) — Contemporary trattoria at honest prices (€25-35): cacio e pepe, pappardelle with ragù, Milanese cutlet, but also a "fit" line and vegan dishes, not a given around here. On Sundays it does brunch. Best to book.
Mezzè (via Varanini 9) — A bridge between Puglia and the Middle East: hummus, tabbouleh, couscous, tagine, plenty of veg options and Puglian wines. The idea is in the name: every dish can be ordered as a half portion, so you build a table to share and taste more. Bill ~€30. Closed Sunday evening.
ElDogo (via Nicola d'Apulia 4) — Argentine cooking and a cocktail bar, steps from piazza Morbegno (right next to Bici e Radici): grilled cuts of meat, empanadas and Quilmes beer, with the odd cross-over like truffle gnocchi and a reworked tiramisù. Fair prices (€20-40) and very attentive service. Book.

Seafood

Amore & Gusto (via Venini 29) — The spot for fish, steps from piazzale Loreto: Italian seafood with a contemporary touch. Raw seafood platter, seared red tuna, spaghetti with scorpionfish ragù, crispy octopus with potato foam and caramelised red onion. Open lunch and dinner, mid-to-high range; best to book (380 4707117).
Osteria Zio Nino (via Marocco 17) — The neighbourhood's other address for fish: the fresh-catch counter greets you at the door (what you see is what you eat), then raw dishes, seafood pastas and fried fish, with a small garden in warm weather. Average bill ~€25, vegetarian options on the menu. Best to book.

Pizza

Gianni Noloso (via Varanini) — The pizzeria born after the Noloso cocktail bar, a little further down the same street and also Gianni Macario's: round pizza with long fermentation and five different doughs. Evenings, family feel.
Franco e Rosy (piazza Morbegno 5) — Old-school Milanese pizza al trancio (by the slice): thick, soft, square, to eat on the go. A historic name now run for years by Chinese owners (Shao Jun) who kept the name and recipe; the menu also has seafood pastas. Cheap, ~€10-20. It's on the same square as Silvano (no. 2): a nice contrast between trendy natural-wine bar and popular slice joint.

Sichuan (and the world of via Padova)

NoLo's strength is cooking from all over, concentrated mostly around via Padova: Chinese, Pakistani, South American, Egyptian signs. Neighbourhood rule: trust the ones full of locals.

Le Nove Scodelle (viale Monza 4) — The Chinese place worth the trip: real, unapologetically spicy Sichuan cooking, in the 2026 Michelin Guide, opened by "Agie" (the same man behind Ravioleria Sarpi) with chef Wei. Kung Pao chicken with cashews (~€14), hand-made dumplings, rabbit and ribs; the spice level is marked on the wall menu. Dishes €12-16. Book.

Wine and the counter

Silvano — Vini e Cibi al Banco (piazza Morbegno 2) — A natural-wine bistro (over 100 labels, glasses €7-8) set in a former bread bakery: no stovetop, everything comes out of the oven. It's the fourth venture of Cesare Battisti (the man behind Ratanà), with Ligurian chef Vladimiro Poma. The cult dish is the toast (cooked ham, melted Branzi, giardiniera); the roasted Russian salad and the pastas are excellent too. Dishes €5-18. Closed Monday and Tuesday.

Aperitivo, bars and the evening

Bici e Radici (via Nicola d'Apulia 2, corner of piazza Morbegno) — The most original spot in the neighbourhood, run by our friends Marco and Stefania: a shop that's at once a bike workshop and a plant boutique, with a little window onto the street you get your drink from. Marco and Stefania lived a long time on Pantelleria and bring Milan zibibbo wines and the beers of the Pantelleria brewery La Panteska; from breakfast to aperitivo you drink standing on the pavement, two simple things. Closed Monday.
Noloso (via Varanini 5) — The most photogenic cocktail bar around: a little jungle of climbing plants, pink neon, bunting and tables out on the street (half bar, half tiny art gallery). From owner Gianni Macario: house cocktails (the Nolo Reggio), a buffet aperitivo in early-2000s style — starter, first course, second and dessert — and DJ sets between Raffaella Carrà and italo disco. Plenty of veg options.
Ghe Pensi Mì (piazza Morbegno) — The taproom that broke the ground: opened in 2016 by Matteo Russo when NoLo was still all to discover, it's one of the reasons piazza Morbegno became a meeting point. Eleven taps of craft beer, sandwiches and boards, often music and events at night. Budget-friendly, closed Monday.
Salumeria del Design (via Cecilio Stazio 18) — Aperitivo and cocktails in what's also a design studio and cultural association ("Milan's first bar-progetteria"): bread and salami, boards, vintage markets and themed nights. Running since 2017. A small room, so best not to turn up as a big group. Evenings only, closed Monday.
Mosso (via Angelo Mosso 3) — Not a single venue but an ecosystem: ~3,000 m² holding together a restaurant-pizzeria, a bar-café with a terrace, a training centre and a concert hall, with a courtyard and a packed cultural programme. Good from breakfast to aperitivo — and handy for getting what the neighbourhood is really like today.
Anarres (via Pietro Crespi 11) — A bookshop-bistro steps from Parco Trotter: by day you read, study and work among the shelves; come aperitivo (and at lunch and dinner) you have a glass of wine or something simple — club sandwich, meatballs, falafel, hummus — surrounded by books. It often hosts talks and readings; open late Wednesday to Saturday.

In short

The small places fill up: book da Abele, Minta and Le Nove Scodelle. And if you want a tip tailored to the evening — fish, vegetarian, a pizza around the corner — just write to us: we know the neighbourhood well.